As part of a larger ongoing directive in the Galapagos, YachtAid Global and the superyacht Seahawk have established a formal program teaching children how to sail and swim.
A few years ago, YachtAid Global created Operation Beagle in the islands. Specifically, it provides the local communities with educational materials, access to clean water, and conservation programs. The new YachtAid Global Youth Sailing and Swimming Program springs from this. The yacht agents at Sea Masters Galapagos and AYS Panama helped launch it, too. It’s striving to connect children to the surrounding ocean and the environment. It further strives to create positive peer relationships.
The owners and crew of the 197-foot (60-meter) superyacht Seahawk played an instrumental role in establishing the infrastructure for the sailing and swimming program. In fact, the crew of the yacht delivered several Optimist sailboats for the children to start using. It’s the first delivery of a few expected. Additionally, the crew provided hands-on lessons, plus invited the kids aboard Seahawk (below) to see large-yacht operations.
Capt. Stephen Edwards of Seahawk says the sailing and swimming program fits in perfectly with the overall ethos of the owners and the crew. “We are on a mission to leave a legacy of doing good along the way, focused on the areas of science, ecology, and community values,” he explains. They plan to do so in remote regions worldwide in the next few years, he adds.
You can get involved, too. YachtAid Global is seeking more owners and crews to support the new program and interact with the local communities. “The participation by the vessel and crew of Seahawk is a prime example of how YachtAid Global’s partnering yachts contribute to the world around them,” explains Capt. Mark Drewelow, its founder. Already, Edwards believes things will be different the next time his yacht is in the area. In fact, he envisions “a fleet of small sails in the bays of San Cristobal, Isabella, and Santa Cruz!”
YachtAid Global yachtaidglobal.org
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